--:-- Ray: Hey, it's Ray from Car Talk. Are you tired of all the depth and thoughtful care that goes into NPR shows? Want some good old-fashioned goofing around and stumbling to figure out what's going on? Well, I've been taking occasional car questions again. You can hear them by signing up for NPR Plus, along with lots of other bonus content. Just go to plus.npr.org.
--:-- Amy Held: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held.
--:-- Amy Held: The world's biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, will arrive in the Northern Caribbean tomorrow, according to a U.S. military official. This as tensions rise with Venezuela.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: NPR's Laura Sullivan reports. The USS Gerald Ford will be joining some 15,000 soldiers and sailors already in the region. A U.S. military official told NPR the U.S. is gearing up for possible military action, saying, quote, the table is being set.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: High-level meetings with members of Congress and foreign leaders are continuing, along with ongoing military exercises. It remains unclear, however, if President Trump will use military force against the country.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: The U.S. has conducted multiple strikes on boats in the region. President Trump has also repeatedly called on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to resign.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: Officials told NPR the arrival of the USS Gerald Ford could be just another pressure tactic on Maduro who has put his own forces on high alert.
--:-- Laura Sullivan: I'm Laura Sullivan, NPR News.
--:-- Amy Held: President Trump is cutting ties with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The president made a series of social media posts announcing he's withdrawn his support of the Georgia Republican.
--:-- Ava Pukac: NPR's Ava Pukac reports Green, a one-time staunch ally, is hitting back and says she suspects the rift came from her support for the release of the Epstein files.
--:-- Ava Pukac: In his post, Trump called for conservatives to primary Green, saying, quote, if the right person runs, they will have my complete and unyielding support.
--:-- Ava Pukac: Green said in a post of her own that she had sent the president a text regarding the Epstein files, which she said, quote, sent him over the edge.
--:-- Ava Pukac: She said Trump is trying to make an example of her to scare other Republicans ahead of the House's vote to force the release of the Epstein files.
--:-- Ava Pukac: Green has been a longtime Trump ally and prominent MAGA figure, but she's been at odds with the president, notably in calling for the Justice Department to release the files about the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
--:-- Ava Pukac: I'm Ava Pukac, NPR News, Washington.
--:-- Amy Held: U.S. air travel is slowly getting back to normal after the record government shutdown ended Wednesday.
--:-- Joel Rose: The FAA says airlines must still cut flights by 3 at dozens of major airports as staffing levels bounce back.
--:-- Joel Rose: Regulators say they'll see how it goes this weekend before doing away with the reductions.
--:-- Joel Rose: The FAA said the restrictions were necessary to keep the airspace safe as the agency grappled with widespread staffing shortages of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown.
--:-- Joel Rose: But with the shutdown over, air traffic controllers have finally received some of the back pay they earned, and most are now back to work.
--:-- Joel Rose: Airlines say they're confident they can ramp up quickly and should be able to return to their full schedules before Thanksgiving holiday travel begins.
--:-- Joel Rose: FlightAware lists several hundred delays and cancellations today. Not unusual for the U.S.
--:-- Amy Held: This is NPR News.
--:-- Amy Held: Several inches of rain have drenched parts of Southern California, and more is forecast to fall from a stalled atmospheric river.
--:-- Amy Held: Debris flow from burn scars is a big concern.
--:-- Amy Held: In some parts of Los Angeles County, officials have gone door to door to tell people to evacuate.
--:-- Amy Held: The season's first heavy rainfall in Gaza is flooding tents, making it hard for some of the millions of displaced Palestinians to keep warm and dry.
--:-- Amy Held: The Israeli defense body in charge of Gaza borders says it facilitated the entry of nearly 90 tents and tarps but the UN says with winter coming they need more.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: The Vatican today announced the return of more than 60 indigenous artifacts to Canada.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: As I report, the return is part of the reconciliation process in acknowledging the Catholic Church's historic role suppressing indigenous culture.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: The 62 artifacts include a 100-year-old Inuit kayak, wampum belts, war clubs, masks, and beaded moccasins.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: Pope Leo turned them over to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops during an audience at the Vatican.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: A statement by the Church said the pieces were a sign of dialogue, respect, and fraternity.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: They were part of a controversial collection that sparked a debate over cultural items taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods and the Church's role in helping the Canadian governments forced assimilation policy, which some historians have called cultural genocide.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: The items will first go to the Canadian Museum of History where they will be identified, and then a decision will be made about where they should ultimately go.
--:-- Dan Karpinchuk: For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpinchuk in Toronto.
--:-- Amy Held: This is NPR News.
--:-- Ray: Listen to this podcast sponsor-free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org.
